Cindy Sharretts, who has criticized Common Core, discussed the issue recently with WBAL's Jimmy Mathis. Sharretts notes the National Governor's Association and Council of Chief School Officers came up with the standards. Download This File

Maryland's Superintendent of Schools says the new academic standards that take effect this fall are about preparing students for careers and not about the state collecting personal data on students.

Dr. Lillian Lowery spoke to WBAL News on Tuesday about Common Core, the new standards for reading, writing and math.

Funding to implement these standards came has the result of the Obama Administration's Race to the Top program which provides billions of dollars to states to improve schools.

The standards themselves were not drafted by the federal government, but drafted as the result of a partnership between the National Governor's Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Maryland is one of 45 states that have adopted the new standards.

Some parent and Tea Party groups have criticized the standards in part because of the data collection.

"I just don't know where this is coming from. The Common Core curriculum is just replacing what we have. The student data bases that we have, are the student data bases that we've always had," Lowery told WBAL News.

Lowery told WBAL News that the data that is collected on students is secure.

"Parents have to understand that we've always had this data, because we have to make decisions. We have firewalls over firewalls. We're very meticulous about the confidentiality of our students," Lowery added.

Lowery said data such as test scores and disciplinary records are shared with the state higher education commission and the University System of Maryland so officials can track the progress of students.

"I've been hearing from constituents more and more in the past few months concerned... about the data mining, tracking your child through early childhood education through career, then the other issue is the loss of local control," Carroll County Delegate Justin Ready told WBAL's Jimmy Mathis Show on Saturday.

Cindy Sharretts, is a parent who also objects to the data collection.

"Birth to career, birth to work is what this system believes it must manage and track, for the purpose of the state being able to manage the behavior and choices of all Americans," said Sharretts recently on WBAL's Jimmy Mathis Show.

In Washington on Tuesday, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan told a meeting of newspaper editors that most of the criticisms of the standards are "imaginary."

Duncan added the federal government is not collecting personal data on students under the program.

CLICK HEREto read a text of Duncan's speech that was obtained by the Washington Post.